10 of Fashion's Most Influential Families
When it comes to fashion, running the family business is often the name of the game. From design house legacies to model siblings, the fashion industry is known for its close-knit community of familial ties. Prada, Fendi, and Hermès are all known as top-tier luxury labels, but there are also generations of family behind the brands' names. Other families, like the Arnaults, you might not know, but should. Here, discover fashion's 10 most important families.
In the late 1970s, fashion designer Gianni Versace launched his eponymous brand alongside his brother and sister, Santo and Donatella, in Italy. The label grew in popularity thanks to Gianni's use of bold hues and revealing cut outs. The house of Versace is heavily credited with launching the careers of Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista. After Gianni's tragic murder in 1997, Donatella took over as CEO of the company. Today, she serves as creative director, while her daughter Allegra is the majority owner of the company.
Mario Prada founded his eponymous brand in 1913 as a leather goods company. Upon his death in 1958, his daughter Luisa took over, before later handing over the reins to her niece/adopted daughter Miuccia Prada in 1978. Under her tenure, Prada has bought out other brands such as Jil Sander, Helmut Lang, and Azzedine Alaïa, branched out to menswear, and launched sister label Miu Miu, which Miuccia also serves as creative director.
In 1927, young shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo launched a brand in Florence, Italy that grabbed the attention of Hollywood stars Greta Garbo and Marilyn Monroe. After his death, his wife Wanda and their six children took over the family business, transforming it into a leading fashion house. Rounding out the image of luxury that the label represents, the Ferragamos also established the Lungaro Collection of hotels in Italy. Today, a third generation of Ferragamos work under the namesake brand in various roles.
During her 10 years as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris, Carine Roitfeld made a name for herself as one of the premiere voices of the fashion industry. After her departure, the founder of CR Fashion Book maintained relationships with major designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford. Like her mom, daughter Julia Restoin-Roitfeld has consulted for major brands like Jean-Paul Gaultier and Miu Miu. She was also the face of Tom Ford's Black Orchid perfume campaign. Son Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld is the president of CR and its subsidiary magazines.
In 1925, Eduoardo and Adele Fendi launched a small leather goods shop in Rome. Their five daughters Carla, Paola, Anna, Alda, and Franca later inherited the company, which has gone on to become an established label on the luxury market. Silvia Venturini Fendi, daughter to Anna, joined the brand in the 1990s, alongside Karl Lagerfeld, and remains as the company's creative director.
The Jalou family heritage has been in fashion publishing, since the industry began booming in the 20th century. Joining L’OFFICIEL as artistic director in 1932, Georges Jalou transformed it from a trade magazine to a highly regarded women’s publication. Jalou later established Jalou Media group and bought L’OFFICIEL, which was then passed down to his children, Laurent Jalou, Marie-José Susskind-Jalou, and Maxime Jalou. Today, Marie-José acts as president of Jalou Media Group while her son, Benjamin Eymere, is CEO.
Ottavio and Rosita Missoni founded their knitwear workshop in 1953 and five years later introduced the Italian luxury house’s first collection. Known for its colorful zig-zag pattern, the Missoni brand has endured for generations. After Ottavio and Rosita moved on to other endeavors in the 1990s, their children took over the family business with Vittorio becoming marketing director, Luca acting as menswear designer, and Angela overseeing womenswear. Now, Margherita, granddaughter of Rosita and Ottavio, oversees the M Missoni diffusion line and is largely seen as the family’s current face of the Missoni legacy.
The Hermès family is among the wealthiest and most established in the fashion world. Founded by skilled leather craftsman Thierry Hermès in the 19th century, the luxury brand has offered the most highly prized leather goods for over a century. Thierry was succeed by his son Émile-Charles Hermès, who was then followed by his sons, Adolphe and Èmile-Maurice Hermès. In the mid-20th century, the fourth generation of the family took over, with Robert Dumas, grandson of Èmile-Maurice, stepping into the role of head executive and creative director. The French maison became fashion canon under Jean-Louis Dumas, son of Robert, who introduced clothing, jewelry, and the famed Birkin handbag to the label. Today, there are over a dozen heirs to the $49.2 billion Hermès fortune, with cousins Pierre-Alexis and Axel Dumas leading the brand.
Behind luxury comglomerate LVMH is the Arnault family, headed by owner and contender for "World's Richest Man" Bernard Arnault. His daughter Delphine is Executive VP at Louis Vuitton, while his sons Frédéric, Antoine, and Alexandre are each CEOs of Tag Heuer, Berluti, and Rimowa respectively.
Fashion conglomerate Kering is known for owning major fashion houses including Gucci, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen. A heritage company itself, Kering was founded as PPR in 1963 by François Pinault. His son, François-Henri Pinault joined the family business in the ‘80s, and became CEO of Kering in 2000. The Pinaults also own the Christie’s auction house.
